6-24-18 Conflicting Messages

Conflicting messages

We often seem to receive conflicting messages about what is important.

We are bombarded with media and worldly messages of, – work hard to get ahead, (ahead of whom or what)? Money talks, we need to look and act a certain way to be attractive to others, – better him than me, – the end justifies the means. To compete and win, beat the other guy, don’t be a loser. Buy this, get that, then we will be happy. We are taught to identify with a country, a religion, an ethnicity, political beliefs, material possessions, and to agree with others that hold the same values, and to dismiss or even be against those that disagree with us.

Alternatively we are instructed to love thy neighbor as thyself, to see the good in everyone, to let go of resentments and love each other. To work for the betterment of all people, for inner peace and world peace. To think of others first, to not be materialistic, the journey without destination. To love ourselves just as we are, and others as well.

We seem to come into conflict with the worldly and the spiritual.

There is nothing wrong with taking care of our worldly concerns. Actually it is vital that we do. We cannot expect to dismiss worldly things and only be spiritual. The essence of the higher realm, spirituality, is expressed in the every-day, natural world.

There’s nothing wrong with striving to accomplish something, or making friends, or loving your spouse and children. Non-attachment does not require extreme asceticism or shunning human contact. Non-attachment comes from the wisdom that nothing is truly separate.

We need to diligently take care of the things in this world, dress in clean cloths, eat good food, associate with healthy people, live in a place that shelters us and is clean, be kind to others and to yourself. To devote time to spiritual practice and to enjoyment.

FIVE HUMAN VALUES that engage the worldly and the spiritual – Truth, Right Action, Peace, Love, and non-violence.

How much conflict do we find within ourselves? Do we feel we are not worthy of a peaceful life, do not deserve it?

Wrong, you do deserve it, and can begin NOW to believe in yourself. Drop the past conflicts andjudgments and get on with it, believe in yourself, and feel your connection to all else.

With todays technology we tend to want, think we deserve, to have more with less effort. Thiscan speed us up in the worldly sense of acquiring and being entertained. We are less responsiblefor actually creating our world, and more active in getting material things, information and entertaining ourselves. Technology can be very useful, when used to further our lives.

Do our intentions separate, do we feel the need, the craving for more romance, money, sex,esteem, career, for more knowledge, more spirituality, more entertainment? Do we see others as useful objects to attain what we want?

In regard to my addiction, using people to get what I wanted, or being unavailable, were my overwelming pursuits. It made me spiritually void, and in terrible conflict with others and the true nature of myself. Today I can engage in these same conflicting actions on a smaller scalethat is often promoted and sanctioned by society. I need to have an awareness of my conflicts, and act so as not to validate or engage in them.

Our thoughts are powerful because we believe them. As we begin to train the mind, and we find the space between our thoughts, we start to come more from our hearts that includes others and a desire to work with what is best, not just best for me.

We have to look at our intentions, do they separate, conflict with what is, or do they bringtogether? It is not the outer objects that entangle us. It is the inner clinging that entangles us.

Spirituality is not attaining anything, it is being aware of our cravings, our conflicts, and beingable to let them subside. The sunlight of the spirit will then naturally begin to shine through thespaces we have made in the storm of clouds.

We begin to naturally feel the unity of all living things and of how to act in accordance with the natural and spiritual laws that do not divide, but that unify. The natural world is rich and verynatural, it becomes unnatural when we grasp at it as if it is an object for us to possess andmanipulate for our personal benefit.

We meditate and feel, perhaps momentary, the space between thoughts that is not grasping, where there is no conflict. We cultivate an awareness of our actions.